PASSAT ESTATE

There’s very little that the Volkswagen Passat doesn’t do well. It has been one of the very best estate cars for many years, and recent revisions have made this perennial tow car favourite even better.

Most significantly, last year’s updates saw the reintroduction of the GTE plug-in hybrid. This had been withdrawn from sale when demand outstripped supply, but now it’s back in the line-up and expected to take a quarter of all Passat sales.

We reviewed the GTE a few months ago, and were thoroughly impressed with its towing ability. The combination of a smooth 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol and a punchy electric motor give a combined output of 218hp. The powertrain easily copes with any sensibly matched caravan, and with a 1760kg kerbweight and a 1600kg towing limit, plenty of tourers fall into that category.

Hybrid power

As a rule, plug-in hybrids are at their best when they can be recharged regularly – not so easy to do when towing. However, we were extremely impressed with the GTE’S 29.5mpg while pulling a 1450kg caravan.

The GTE is at the pricey end of the Passat line-up, but there are lots of more affordable versions to choose from. Prices start at £27,620 for the 1.5-litre petrol. We’d be inclined to find the extra for the 150hp 2.0-litre diesel, which starts from £29,580.

Choose conventional power rather than hybrid and you’ll get a bigger boot – 650 litres – making the VW one of the most practical estates you can buy. There’s plenty of room for passengers, too. Most important, every Passat we’ve driven has proven a stable tow car.